


Promenade

by 3311



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Fluff without Plot, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Jericho AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 03:06:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15161150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3311/pseuds/3311
Summary: Markus meets certain PL600 model before Jericho.





	Promenade

“Would you mind having another android around for a few days?” Carl asked after Markus finished the summary of his correspondence. The one message that stood out asked Carl if a distant cousin could impose his presence on him, and if the response was negative he would anyway as he had hospital visits to make in Detroit and abusing Carl’s sense of family duty was the only option available. He was bringing an android with him so Carl’s staff didn’t have to worry about a thing. Carl laughed with a mixture of amusement and indulgence. If he had one weakness it was family, always lenient with his to a fault, no better proof of it than Leo.

“Not at all, Carl. It might be quite pleasant” Markus replied lightly as he fixed Carl’s breakfast, it had been completely truthful at the time but now he wasn’t so sure.

In the mansion, surrounded by the smell of paint and books, always having a new interesting and extravagant collector piece to set up, the time he didn’t spend with Carl or tiding up the house all his own, Markus was guilty of forgetting that his life wasn’t the norm. Carl saw him as a beloved son, a valued assistant, someone he could talk to and discuss ideas with. Other androids weren’t as lucky, as shackled by their predetermined parameters as they were, the only difference between them and Markus was that Carl had seen him as something more than inert plastic and code.

Having the other android around made everything that was unjust, strikingly obvious and infuriating. The unfairness of it glared at him ever the more so because the other android took everything on stride. Even from the starting slight of not having a name of his own.

“You look decidedly dreadful Carl but I dare say you will outlive me yet” Aaron Jones said as he walked through the door “and you must be the infamous Markus, Carl has told me lots about you…” he reached out to offer Markus a handshake but his chummy smile froze halfway as his eyes went over the LED light.

“Oh. Carl, by how you talked about him I thought…” His outstretched hand dropped immediately “Well, I hope you don’t mind I have brought my own, it’s a test run, I guess.” He looked behind him, scoffing with no little annoyance as he realized he was alone “Come on in then! Do I have to carry you in or something?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jones” A PL600 model said as he stepped in. His quiet, collected demeanor was in stark contrast to the human that accompanied him. He had only been following his system’s instructions, waiting to be invited in after Aaron finished his greetings, and now he was admonished for it. That was when Markus felt the very first jab of secondhand aggravation.

“It’s only a pre-owned one, nothing fancy.” Aaron continued “Got it for my eldest. 3 pups and one more on the way, useless husband, I figured she could use the help and the salesman said this type would be good with the children.  I wanted to have it with me for a few days first, make sure it won’t go Christine on them”

“If your grandchildren resemble you in the slightest it will be a trial by fire” Carl said

“Don’t I know it! apples and trees and all that”

“I’m sure he’ll be excellent for the job, what’s your name?” Carl asked, turning his attention to the android.

 “I’m a housekeeping android, model PL600. So glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Manfred” The android said warmly

Markus couldn’t help but frown. He had not even given the android a name? Humans named everything, stuffed animals, cars, random rocks they saw on the road probably, and yet Aaron Jones couldn’t find one name to give his android. Markus’ LED light turned decidedly yellow as the other android’s gleamed a serene blue.

“You need to register a name for him, Aaron”

“I thought I would let the grandkids do that, sort of like getting a puppy isn’t it” He answered completely oblivious to Carl’s stern tone. Carl clenched his jaw in the way his doctor had told him not to, last time seen during one of Leo’s visits.

“Markus” He said, quite aware the sooner his cousin was away from the androids the better for everyone “would you show him to the guestroom, please? Aaron and I will go catch up in the study; I’ll bore him with art. I’ll call you if I need you” He patted Markus’ arm in solidarity as he turned his chair away from them, Aaron following after him.

“Carl, there are plastic babies all over your candelabra!”

“Oh,  the chandelier?  Yes. I thought it was- “

“It’s disturbing, that’s what that is…”

If Markus had been human he would’ve sighed in relief as Aaron’s voice faded away, he turned his attention to the android, his LED fading from golden to blue.

 “Are you all right?” He asked, realizing his question was quite illogical. He was the one who had been troubled by the scene, the android before him looked completely at ease, obviously scanning the house layout to chart the most efficient way to go about his tasks.

“Yes, all my systems are in perfect working order. There are only a few calibration checkups to be completed. They are up to 80%”

“I’m glad” Markus answered, reaching for the traveling suitcase the man had unceremoniously left in the hall, obviously expecting someone else to deal with it. 

“If you don’t mind I’ll do that, it’s my duty to look after Mr. Jones’ luggage.”

“Of course” Markus replied as the other android took the suitcase gently, and Markus thought, almost shyly from his hands.

 

In the days that followed Markus tolerated the man not only for Carl, but for the other android’s sake as well, knowing that any questionable android behavior could make him re-consider his purchase.

Markus was stiffer, never talked when unprompted, and hadn’t touched the piano in days since Aaron camped in the living room most of the time. He avoided the man as much as possible, and didn’t see much of the PL600 who was kept in the guestroom at all times, except for when he had laundry to do. The one task Aaron had actually asked of him. The PL600, quietly earnest and eager to please, took it to heart. While Carl, completely aware of the situation, acted as a buffer to great personal annoyance.

“I worry about you, Carl.” Aaron said one morning, with the superfluous solicitude of someone who had not really thought about Carl at all in years “I thought you had someone to keep you company while your son comes to his senses, if ever, but all this time you have been staying here alone with that… thing. Talking to it like it’s a person, talking about it like it’s a person. It isn’t healthy.”

“I already have quite a few doctors looking after my health, Aaron. I don’t need one more” Carl answered drily

“You should have some real socialization” Aaron continued, completely ignoring his cousin “Talk to some real people”

“Actually, I do have some friends I have meant to visit. Perhaps, you could accompany me, I always need a bit of help getting around, if you can help me with that--” Carl said, exchanging a conspiratorial look with Markus

“Sure, thing. We can do that!” Aaron said with sincere enthusiasm, glad his cousin was listening to his advice, all old Carl needed was some human interaction.

“Markus, could you hand me my light coat, please?” Carl asked as Aaron went out to prepare the car for Carl’s chair

“Have fun, Carl” Markus said, as he saw him to the door.

“Don’t mock me or we’ll stay home tomorrow.” Carl replied with a playful smirk.

 

Markus went through his daily routine trying not to think of the other android, and being quite unsuccessful at it. He didn’t know what to do; it seemed impolite to leave him alone in the room all day, ignored, as Markus pottered around the house. It made him think of the little mechanical birds, caged even though they wouldn’t fly away. But he also, and he hated to admit it, found interacting with other androids slightly… difficult.

Most of them followed their programs to the letter, not saying one word outside their predetermined speech patterns, their consciousness asleep when not tasked with an assignment. But he had noticed the housekeeping androids were the most approachable ones, the caregiver models seemed to be particularly good at discarding their program parameters, maybe it could be worth the try. 

Markus hesitated before the door of the guestroom unsure of what the etiquette really was. “May I come in?” he said, knocking softly at the door

No reply.

He knocked on the door again, repeated his question, and then stood there in the silence for exactly 15 minutes and would have stood there for 15 more if at that moment the door hadn’t opened suddenly  

“Naturally! Of course you can come in. My apologies!” The PL600 said “I hardly heard you through my standby mode” he added clearly abashed “Please don’t let my presence get in the way of any of your pending tasks. Mr. Jones stressed I shouldn’t be a nuisance to Mr. Manfred or his staff”

“You most definitely aren’t” Markus couldn’t help but smile. He had talked to other PL600 models before; Hector was the housekeeper for one of Carl’s colleagues. Markus saw him more than he ever wanted to and he certainly never felt like smiling then.

“I only wondered if you would like to go downstairs for a moment” Markus said

“Of course, is there anything you need assistance with?”

“Not exactly…” Markus faltered, trying to think back and remember what exactly had made him accept the concept of leisure time. “I have just finished my tasks for the day, and I thought you may be free as well”

 “I have been instructed to remain on standby after tiding up the room and not to leave it, unless there’s a task to be completed” The PL600 said earnestly

 “Understood, I’m sorry to have disturbed you”

“That’s all right, I’ll be here on standby so-”

“I shouldn’t knock” Markus nodded in understanding

“I may not hear you, but please, feel free to come in if you need anything”

Markus didn’t really need anything, but for days afterwards, he kept hesitating before the guestroom door whenever Carl managed to extract Aaron from the premises. Should he make some task up? That was dishonest and Markus didn’t care for it. But If the android couldn’t go out of the room there was no reason Markus couldn’t stay in, that of course, if the PL600 didn’t find him bothersome. He opened the door.

The room was airy and perfectly tidy. The android, standing before the window with his eyes closed, looked so peaceful Markus considered leaving the room and not disturb him. Androids didn’t dream of electric sheep or otherwise, but Markus wondered if dreams felt a bit like this. He knew this room, he had to vacuum it on wednesdays just like today, and the lock on the window always got stuck, he didn’t understand why it should feel any different now. He and Carl had visited the aquarium a few months back, today the room felt just like that, like he had the opportunity to look at something wonderful from an unfair advantage point.

“Excuse me” Markus said softly, not meaning to startle the other android out of his standby mode

“Good morning” The android greeted him as he woke up. Markus noticed his eyes, usually light blue, looked almost grey as they reflected the light of the cloudy day “Can I be of any assistance?”

“Would you mind if I standby with you?” Markus asked, sorry to see part of the android’s cheerful demeanor dissipate as he registered his question

“Have I done something unsatisfactory? Did Mr. Manfred or Mr. Jones instruct you to oversee me?“ He asked seriously

“No, it’s nothing like that.” Markus said “I have finished all my duties for the day, until Carl comes back home my free time is my own, and if you don’t mind I would like to spend it on standby with you”

“Why?” The android asked after a hesitating pause. A question Markus didn’t really have an answer for.

“I don’t get to spend much time around other androids” He said. It sounded weird and unconvincing but at least it wasn’t untrue

“There’s nothing in my protocol that would suggest against it” The android replied after a short pause

“Thank you” Markus said, taking his place besides the PL600. Shoulder to shoulder, facing the room, the cool air from the window on his back.

He had only used his standby mode a handful of times in the weeks after arriving with Carl, and now he found he couldn’t access it anymore, so he did the next best thing.

He closed his eyes and listened to the wind coming in from the window, smelling of water because the rain season was starting, aware of the same gentle, underwater atmosphere he had felt as he entered the room. He guessed he could use this time to go over the sheet music of a piece he was learning. He didn’t have a music program built it, Carl had insisted he could learn just like a human, ever the more so because his computerized brain offered him many advantages.

He had been reading the music for a few minutes, when something prompted him to open his eyes; maybe it was a change in the light, or a sound. When he did, he found the other android was looking at him.

They looked at each other in a silence that surely would have been awkward if they were human, but between them it was an expectant pause, a loading bar trying to do its best on a slow bandwidth.

 “I had never seen a RK200 before” the PL600 finally said “are all RK200s like you?”

“What do you mean?” Markus was eager to keep the PL600 engaged, it was the first time the other android had started a conversation unrelated to the properties and/or approximate location of a detergent

“Do all RK200s hum when they are in sleep mode? It seems counterintuitive?”

Markus almost laughed, he must have been humming the melody without realizing “My apologies, the noise must’ve interrupted you, it won’t happen again,” and after a little pause “that may explain why I’m a failed prototype” He added awkwardly. He didn’t want to leave the android’s question unanswered; he knew the PL600 wouldn’t ask it again.

“Failed prototype? Was it because of the humming?”

“I don’t think so” Markus replied amused, “I don’t know what they expected me to do” He continued after thinking for a second. His memories before Carl were few and fragmented; He had the vague impression of it involving lots of acrobatics and even more complex evaluations, nothing like the domestic tasks he carried out now “Maybe figuring it out was the test. Whatever it was I didn’t perform as they expected, I was shelved, and then I was given to Carl”

“They must have been quite foolish if they thought you were a failure” the PL600 said preparing to enter his standby mode again “Please, resume the humming, It was not in the least bothersome”

“I could play the song on the piano for you, if you’d like” Markus ventured, and the PL600 actually seemed to consider it for a moment

“The piano is downstairs” He said,

“And you are not leaving here” Markus completed, understanding that for now downstairs could as well be the moon

The android shook his head slightly “I don’t think I should”

“That’s fine, I’ll figure something out”

And so he did. Music was something accessible that didn’t compromise the other android’s program settings. They spent their time listening to Carl’s record collection; Markus could easily transfer the tracks to the guestroom sound system from his main data bank where it was stored so it could always be available to Carl.

Finding something the PL600 liked listening to was more difficult. Carl’s collection although extensive, was decidedly focused on punk and rock bands from the 70’s and 80’s, which the PL600 seemed to find more trying than enjoyable. Markus was purposely keeping away from classical music. He wanted to show that to him himself, with his own performances.

“How about this one?” Markus asked as he transmitted a Joy Division record, he had selected it thinking them mellower than many of Carl’s other favorites. Humans thought androids expressionless, but Markus could tell, quite easily, when the other android wasn’t really enjoying a song, and when he found a track tolerable. The PL600 was very easy to read, especially when Markus could see the slightest crease between his eyebrows which meant he was searching for the most polite way to tell Markus the band he had chosen was terrible. Nothing he actually enjoyed had showed up yet, but Markus was determined.

“Is not that bad,” the PL600 said, and Markus knew he hated it “Scott would have liked it, I wish I could show it to him”

Markus had seen children in the park feeding the pigeons, the fat birds tripping over themselves to get to the treats first and that’s exactly how he felt now. He couldn’t get to the small crumb that had fallen out from nowhere fast enough.

“Scott?” Markus prompted

“He was my charge in the last family I was with. I was with them until Scott went away to college; He’s going to be a veterinarian, he’ll be fantastic at it.” Even a human would have been able to hear the love and pride in that sentence

“He sounds great” Markus said, afraid to say more and overstep. He couldn’t imagine how painful it would be if Carl decided to cast him out. Carl talked a lot about the moment he wouldn’t be there to protect him anymore, but when that time came it wasn’t going to be because Carl wanted it to. He couldn’t imagine being discarded by those you held dearest.

“He really is.” The PL600 said with a proud smile “His father… he wanted to recycle me. He said I was obsolete, but Scott spent all his savings to bring me to Detroit so my software could be updated and I could be sold to someone else”

“What name did you have then?” Markus couldn’t help asking

“The name his family gave me was erased during the update, most of my memory was reset” The PL600 said simply, and something must have shown in Markus’ face because the android immediately blurted “Oh! I don’t mind that” appeasing but sincere “I had enough time to make backups of what was really important, they were very difficult to encrypt and hide, and I couldn’t save everything, but I still have about 40% of my old memory”

“I’m sorry that happened to you” Markus said, feeling it was too inadequate.

The android shook his head “It’s fine now.” And then with a little smile “Could we change the record?” and Markus understood that as his cue to change the subject

“I found one I think you will actually like” Markus said, starting to transmit a track from the small folk section in Carl’s collection.  

 

Markus and the PL600 didn’t get to see each other every day, but Markus kept making lists of the songs he thought he may like and of folk songs he could learn on the piano “I had never seen you be absentminded before” Carl had laughed, as Markus served him orange juice in his coffee cup that morning, he had apologized profusely and Carl had only laughed more.

“You are teasing me, Carl”

“Very much so, an old man has, at the very least, the right of teasing his son a little, and I do have few opportunities to tease you” Carl said, and later as he went out with Aaron for the day “I’ll try to keep him entertained longer today. Have fun, Markus” said with a playful smirk and laughter still in his voice. Carl often told him about the conversation the two men had those mornings, and strangely enough Aaron seemed to be listening. He had started to say please and thank you to Markus when he served them breakfast; that was a start.

“Markus?” The sound of his name almost made him drop the dishes he was washing. He rushed out of the kitchen and into the hall, he didn’t have to see the bright red LED light, he had been able to hear it on the android’s voice, as if him coming down to the moon wasn’t alarming enough.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was tiding up the room when I started to malfunction” the PL600 said extending his hand before him, showing a clear tremor accompanied by an alarmingly shrill whirring noise “he’ll send me back” he added with quiet certainty, so softly Markus could hardly hear him over the sickening buzz.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take you to the repair shop, I’m sure it’s nothing” Markus said even if it certainly didn’t look like nothing.

One android taking another one for repairs would be highly unusual. Markus wondered if it’d be enough for them to contact Aaron and Carl. Carl wouldn’t mind, of course, but Aaron may see it as Christine proclivities. Today an android that can’t pick up a dust bin, tomorrow an ax murderer!

It could be enough for him to return the PL600. A secondhand model that had been returned due to a malfunction only had a 4% chance of being bought again by a family with children, 15% by a couple or single individual in need of housekeeping, and finally an 86% by people looking for a cheap alternative to android parts and scraps or worse.

“I’ll be right back” Markus said, heading for the basement, scanning for some boxes Leo had stored there a few months back.

The contents of the box looked as if Leo had simply decided taking out the garbage was too much of a bother and it was better boxed and forgotten forever. A pair of old jeans with suspicious stains Markus didn’t see the point of scanning, a dirty t-shirt with bits of burnt resin stuck to it and the sour stench of dry sweat, a jacket that smelled quite strongly of cannabis sativa. They would do for a disguise. A battered old beanie, the staple of Leo’s wardrobe, would do just fine hiding the bright yellow glow of his LED.

He took a second to look at himself in the hall mirror, pulled the beanie a bit lower. Convincing enough.

“Let’s go!” He said, joining the PL600 in the hall, but the other android stopped abruptly before going through the doorway, “This seems highly irregular, I’m not sure it’s within my parameters” all his systems must be screaming at him not to leave his cage.

“I know” Markus started, trying not to betray his own uncertainty “We’ll go to the repair shop and back, nobody will notice.  Get your system in proper working order should be a priority, right?”

The PL600 considered it for a few seconds before giving him a slight nod and stepping outside.

 

If Markus had a heart that could do something like freeze on its tracks it would have done so as the bus driver stopped him as they boarded the bus “Androids go in the back”

“I….” He had been so certain nobody would notice, that he could be a perfectly convincing human, and here he was, being caught by the very first human that could give him a close inspection

“The android” The driver said pointing towards the PL600, speaking slower and not unkindly as the smell of Leo’s jacket hit her “has to go in the back compartment, son”

Markus looked back at the PL600, his eyes were fixed on the floor, his LED bright red.

“Oh.. yes.. I’m taking him to the repair shop, I don’t want him to get any more damaged than he already is… or… or cause any inconvenience to the others. There’s a fine for damaging androids…”

The driver looked him up and down before waving them in with a sigh “Fine.. fine.. is far too early for this”

Markus walked in, all his systems still alert. He stepped aside to let the other android take the window sit, hoping his presence on the aisle one would work like a shield.

 “Why is this allowed?” one of the commuters shouted, pointing at them

“Because I say so” The driver shouted back as the bus started moving

 “One day they’ll come for your job too; see how you like them then, fucking androids.” He said under his breath “Can’t you quiet that damn thing” The commuter spat turning his attention to Markus

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to do” Markus answered with calm dignity, which only made the commuter scoff "Unbelievable" 

“That’s enough, the first of you to say another word is getting off my bus”

“I take your bus every single freaking day, Rose. You don’t even know this loser”

“I don’t give a damn, John, just leave the kid and his machine alone” she added giving Markus another look through the rear view mirror “No smoking anything on the bus either. Understood?”

It took Markus a moment to realize the driver was talking to him, which gave his answer an uncharacteristic lag “Yes, Understood!” he replied. The commuter snorted

They sat in tense silence for the rest of the trip, the buzzing only becoming louder and the android’s LED stuck on solid red. Markus would have liked to hold his hand hoping the other android would find it comforting, but the PL600 kept it clasped to his malfunctioning arm, willing it to shiver less, be quieter, and failing miserably.

 

As he stepped into the shop Markus realized he’d never been to one, all he could remember from the time before Carl was the laboratory, or it might have been a factory, or perhaps a hybrid of the two. The other androids he barely remembered being with him were always working on different performance tests just like him. He had never seen androids like this, just… suspended, inert and dead like dolls... playthings. He hurried to the desk, the faster they were out of the shop the better.

The second thing he realized was that his disguise wasn’t ideal for stealth.

 “Are you sure you weren’t doing anything weird to it?” The woman at the tech support desk asked for the second time after Markus described their problem. “If you were you have to tell me, so I don’t waste my time trying to figure out what the problem is”

“I wasn’t with him when the malfunction started. I don’t know if there was anything irregular that could have caused it” She looked at him sharply through her winged glasses, taking in the overwhelming grimy aura of Leo’s leftovers.

“Did you steal it? I’ll know to whom it’s registered to as soon as I connect it to the system so-”

“I wasn’t stolen” The PL600 interjected “I belong to Mr. Aaron Jones, but Mr. Manfred’s son was the only one available to report my malfunction to”

She gave Markus another reproving look before typing Aaron’s name into her tablet, the name coming up instantly linked to the PL600’s serial number. That was good enough for her - androids couldn’t lie of course, it was against their programming - she nodded “I need it to come behind the counter, so I can scan it and troubleshoot the problem. It was just purchased too, so this is well within the guarantee”

“Can I go with him?” Markus asked

“No.” she said crisply “You’ll be able to follow everything from where you are, away from the expensive equipment” Really, the more she did this job the more ridiculous everyone got. Little kids wanting to know if their android was going to be all right was one thing, but grown adults too, bringing her their fitness and housekeeping androids with all the anxiety involved in taking an injured close friend to the ER, as if they were irreplaceable.

It was complete nonsense, and yet she did like to work with those people, however annoying, much more than she did with those who brought her androids broken and mangled because they had “fallen down the stairs” or “a car had hit them”. She wasn’t quite sure to what group this man belonged to.

“It will be OK” The sketchy young man cooed to the PL600 as she connected it to the scanning device. A card carrying member of the well meaning nutjobs club after all, you really couldn’t tell by looks alone, could you. If she didn’t know any better she’d think the PL600 was blushing. She’d have to run a scan for thirium leaks into the outer skin layer, but the LED light had faded from red to yellow, and a few of the hazard warnings were actually troubleshooting by themselves, so it was probably nothing that she couldn’t fix in only a few minutes.

 

Markus didn’t need to breathe so it wouldn’t be quite accurate to say he breathed easier once they were outside the shop, but under Leo’s beanie his LED finally went back to light blue. They could no longer use the malfunction as an excuse, and as he looked now Markus would be too conspicuous in the android compartment, so they walked instead, it would only take them a few minutes more if they went through the park.

As soon as they were within sight of the playground, a little girl ran towards them, clumsily attaching herself to the PL600’s leg. “Hello, darling.” he said gently, kneeling down to talk to her, “Where’s your mom?” The little girl smiled at the android, pushing blue flowers into his hands before running back to her mother “Sorry, we have a PL600 at home and now she has to hug every single one she sees” the young woman said casually, taking her daughters hand and walking away, not without giving Markus a wary glance, as the little girl skipped and waved goodbye to the PL600. Really, If he had worn one of Carl’s bathrobes he would have gotten less stares.

They walked the rest of the way in companionable silence, neither being the type to talk just to fill in the quiet. Markus thought the other android had made a few attempts to say something, so he waited patiently.

“You do look just like a human like that” The PL600 said when they were about to reach the gate, softly as he always did when it was him the one starting a conversation, almost like he hoped Markus wouldn’t actually hear him

“Leo’s clothes were a decent disguise; even though they seem to have made me a bit more noticeable than I had indented”

“Is not only the clothing” the android paused in the way he did when he was being careful choosing his words “You are unique, just like they are”

“You are too” Markus replied instantly, he didn’t have to think about it for even a second

The PL600 shook his head as the door welcomed them in “Even if I didn’t wear my uniform that little girl would still recognize me and so would everyone else” he said touching his newly repaired hand to the blue triangle on his chest “there are thousands just like me” there was no sadness or bitterness or even self-pity in that statement; he said it like a simple, uninteresting fact. The sky is blue. I’m disposable.

“That’s not-“ but Markus didn’t get to finish his sentence

“Where the hell were you?” Aaron shouted coming down the stairs “Good grief! Standing creepily round the clock in the corner of the room like a tide pod obsessed scarecrow, but when I actually need you? Nowhere to be found!”

“It is my fault” Markus started “I needed some assistance-“

“Not Important” Aaron cut him off not even looking at him, “You are here now. We are leaving;” He said, handing his badly packed suitcase to the PL600, a few blue petals falling to the floor as the android tried not to crush the flowers still in his hands “Tessa is having her baby as we speak. Carl, thank you for putting up with me etc” Aaron waved vaguely in the direction of the top of the stairs where Carl watched the scene with an amused spark in his eyes “You too, Markus” The man said, actually giving a little pat to Markus shoulder, his face instantly contorting in disgust “What the hell is that smell” he said already walking out.

The PL600 only looked at Markus, his LED flashing a search yellow.

“Would you not dilly-dally for fucks sake?!” Aaron shouted, already half way down the driveway “I’m literally dying here and I do want to see my fourth grandchild before pushing up daisies”

Markus couldn’t find anything to say either, nothing seemed good enough, he had never bid goodbye to an android before, if he thought about it the only goodbyes he had ever said were when Carl went out for the day, and those seemed very unsuitable for this situation. The PL600 gave him the blue hydrangeas he had been holding in his hands, looking as confused as Markus felt. He turned around to follow Aaron, the door automatically closing behind him and just like that he was gone.

Only a week later Aaron Jones would be dead. The fatal flaw in his lungs finally breaking him, and two days after that the android he had thoughtfully bought for his daughter would be sold.

So sorry, she’d say when Carl contacted her, well after the funeral nobody had thought of asking him to, they would have sold it to Carl if they had known he wanted it. And yes! She thought those anonymous web listings were terribly shady but the buyer had actually made a full payment, so everything had turned out just fine.

It wasn’t fair.

That was all Markus could think about for months, doubly so as a PL600 called Daniel was gunned down live on television, in cold blood and without a hint of mercy. He knew it wasn’t-- but knowing didn’t make seeing his face ripped apart any easier. Until then Markus hadn’t know the imagination he had fought so hard against his programming to build could be a curse. 

But all of that was still in the future, however immediate, as Aaron and the PL600 were driven across the city.

“Play some music or something, the silence is killing me faster than all the crap in my lungs”

“Is there anything in particular you would like to listen to?” The android asked, his LED which hadn’t stopped flashing yellow since they had left the mansion flickered as it connected to the car’s entertainment system.

“I don’t care, use your disk or memory or whatever” Aaron reclined in his sit, just to spring back up as the track started to play

“What on earth-!  Did you really think I would like this? I’m not dead yet, you know?”

“My apologies, I’ll change it” The android said, not a little startled

“No, no, leave it.” Aaron stared at the android “… why did you pick this?”

The android hesitated for a second “Markus showed me some records from Mr. Manfred’s music collection and this was the one I found the nicest.”

“Are you telling me you like to listen to Simon and Garfunkel?” Aaron asked. The PL600 nodded.

“Seriously, out of all Carl’s records? This is the one you pick?” The android could only nod again

“You have really, really bad taste…” Aaron said, but something in his tone had changed “I guess we better do this now, you’ll have your hands full immediately on arrival” He went through all his coat pockets finally fishing out a stained scrap of paper “Here we are. I hope you really do like that crap a lot.” He gestured to the car’s radio, as he started to go through the steps the salesman had written down for him.

“Well that wasn’t that much of a pain was it?” Aaron said, preparing to doze off for the rest of their trip “Play all the twee folk nonsense you want, good for a snooze, I guess. Oh, and Simon?”

“Yes, Mr. Jones?”

“We should visit Carl and Markus again soon, shouldn’t we? I’ll try to be less of a pain” Aaron was snoring before Simon could reply, but the android didn’t wish for anything more. He couldn’t wait to hear Markus call him by his name.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> [Hello darkness my old friend from another room as Markus and North hand touch]


End file.
